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• JANUARY 2020
The Current
RIVER CROSSING
Moving Forward – Edwards in driver’s seat and every day and has already at Meals on Wheels implemented changes that are By Craig Howard
Current Contributing Editor
Jeff Edwards grew familiar with the unique mission of Meals on Wheels as director of the Corbin Senior Activity Center. Volunteer drivers stopped by the center in Spokane’s EmersonGarfield neighborhood each weekday to pick up warm food and deliver it to residents. Corbin also featured a congregate meal site where lunch goers would gather for nourishment and conversation with friends. “I saw it from afar and was always impressed with what Meals on Wheels did,” Edwards said. “When they say, ‘It’s more than a meal,’ it really is.” Edwards took the helm at the center – consisting of around 1,000 members – in October 2016 at the age of 37 and worked there nearly three years. “It opened my eyes to the needs of seniors,” he said. The experience would serve Edwards well as he transitioned to his next career stop as executive director of Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels. He began on Sept. 9, 2019, leading an organization that provides over 20,000 meals a month through home delivery and meal sites known at “Silver Cafes” that now number a dozen throughout the county. The agency has its administrative home in Spokane Valley near Pines and Sprague. Edwards took over an agency that found itself in the shadow of controversy over the past year. In February, the organization’s former bookkeeper Michelle Ferrell pled guilty to wire fraud and in September, was sentenced to three years in federal prison for embezzling close to $100,000 from Meals on Wheels. “I had a lot of questions like the public did,” Edwards said. “I was aware of it but I also understood that they had a need and I felt I could contribute.” As part of the decision, Ferrell
was required to pay restitution of $99,871 and will be under three years of court supervision after incarceration. Edwards said it was clear that “the mission went forward” despite the turbulence with a committed board, staff and volunteers leading the way. “It’s been important to tackle those questions head on and restore that confidence,” he said. “Now, in terms of accounting practices, we’ve got everything you’d ever want in place.” Board Member Alan Curryer, CEO of Rockwood Retirement Communities, said Edwards is the right leader at the right time. “Jeff joins Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels at a time when the organization will need to step up to meet a growing need in the community driven by the baby boomers and the age wave,” Curryer said. “Jeff is an experienced nonprofit executive and has a track record of success in dealing with growth and organizational change. He brings energy to this work each
benefitting us and the seniors we serve.” A native of Tennessee, Edwards grew up near Memphis and enlisted in the Marines at 17. After graduating from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee with a degree in political science, Edwards began working for Youth Villages, a nonprofit that helps at-risk adolescents and has branches in a dozen states. In addition to his nonprofit and military experience, Edwards worked as an English instructor in China and found success as a freelance writer and blogger. With a budget split almost evenly between public and private funds, Edwards understands the need to rally and sustain donor support. He is quick to point out the agency’s low overhead with 91 cents of every contributed dollar going directly to the mission. “We want to make people aware of the need and the impact,” Edwards said. Jeff and his wife Jennifer – a graduate of East Valley High School and Eastern Washington University
Photo by Craig Howard Jeff Edwards took over as executive director of Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels in September. The native of Tennessee previously worked as the director of the Corbin Senior Activity Center in north Spokane.
– are proud parents of three kids – 10, 7 and 5. Q: Some people might be reticent to take over an organization that has faced the challenges that Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels has gone through recently. Why didn’t this deter you? A: When I interviewed for the position of executive director, I was aware of the challenges over the past two years in regards to the fraud that was perpetrated on the organization. However, what sold me on this organization was the fact that during that turbulent season, the mission never suffered. Seniors continued to receive their muchneeded nutrition and socialization as volunteers and staff never wavered in their commitment to ensure that everyone eats. It was also clear to me that the board of directors was aggressive in shoring up and implementing toptier accounting practices when the problem was discovered. As a result, I walked into the job on day one with every accounting practice a nonprofit organization would ever want already in place. Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels is a resilient organization and I was truly excited to steward this organization into the future. Q: How did your leadership role at the Corbin Senior Center prepare you for this job? A: My service at the Corbin Senior Center really introduced me to the needs of our senior community and just how many difficult decisions that our seniors have to make. Unfortunately, far too many wait until a moment of crisis to make those decisions. It also reinforced to me that the pursuit of joy is timeless. Regardless of age or circumstances, every senior deserves to know a little joy in each day and that joy can come in the form of a meal. Since we were children, we all get excited when lunch time arrives that doesn’t change for our seniors. It truly is our joy to serve them and for every senior that participates in our program, we thank them for letting us be a part of their story. It is true that our seniors will need help from time to time but we can’t forget that is only after a generation and a lifetime of them helping everyone
